Are you ready to introduce your Code Club members to the exciting world of text-based coding? Vasu, our Programme Manager in India, shares her enthusiasm for our ‘Hello World’ Python project. Discover why it’s the perfect starting point for anyone wanting to learn Python and how your young coders can showcase their creations in the 2024 Coolest Projects online showcase.

Hi Vasu! You’ve introduced a lot of young people in India to our projects. Can you share your favourite with us? 

Great question! As someone with no formal coding background, diving into Scratch and Python has been quite a journey. A standout for me is the Python ‘Hello World‘ project. It’s a fantastic starter for anyone — after all, who doesn’t love emojis? 😄

This project is in our Introduction to Python: Variables, functions, and loops path and it serves as an excellent introduction to the Explore projects of 3…2…1…Make! 

Who do you think this project is suitable for? 

It’s a great project for all ages! It’s the perfect way to show beginners how approachable Python can be, especially for those nervous about moving on from block-based programming languages, like Scratch. They’ll quickly see it’s not as intimidating as it seems! Go on, give it a go! 

What skills will young people learn from completing ‘Hello World’?  

As Code Club members work through this path, they create an interactive project that uses emojis, they’ll learn how to store text and numbers in variables, and use functions to organise their code. 

What struck me wasn’t just the technical skills gained from working through the project, but the shift in mindset it brought. It’s a confidence booster for beginners, easing anxiety and building the skills to progress on to the other projects in the ‘Introduction to Python’ path. 

Do you have any tips for introducing this project into a Code Club session?  

The key tip is ensuring kids have a solid foundation in block-based coding skills before transitioning to text-based programming. Once they’re comfortable with programming basics, help them transition into Python. 

Our ‘Hello World’ project is also one of the projects where we’re trialling the full integration of our new Code Editor! Within the code editor, young people can have the project guide and code in the same window. As we’ve removed the need to switch tabs, learners can focus on coding and having fun! 

How can young people use the ‘Hello World’ project to enter Coolest Projects? 

It is an easy project to start with. Young people can use the skills learnt in this project and upgrade their project with different texts and emojis, or add comments to their code. At the end of the project, young people get some great ideas for upgrading their work. I encourage them to explore these examples and see how they can take their projects further.

Once they’re happy with their project, they can then record a video of their creation and enter Coolest Projects!

Thanks, Vasu! 

‘Hello World!’ encourages your club members to build their Python programming skills. Why not showcase this achievement and celebrate their work by submitting it to the Coolest Projects showcase?

Young people have until 22 May to submit their creations. If you need further support, check out the resources for mentors webpage. Make sure you share your progress on X using the hashtag #CoolestProjects.